Internal combustion motor



INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTOR Filed May 2, 1938 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS.

Aug. 8, :11939. 5. BUSBY 2,169,120

INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTOR Filed May 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F G. 3. /0 4 26 59 3! A B so 2 /2 6 69 F 64 r 24 2 4 66 27 I 17 l Y L 70 G 5 5/2 -20 g, g 23 38 426 FIG. 4. p A

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n "47 I f 2 :4 44 s as 3 M 47 5;; 3 3 22 26 23 7 20 g I 22. 2 0 36 A w Z3 2? c 2/ 43 38 z 24 I/ Z8 Z7 [3 17 27 INVENTOR. /8 R0]: E l- 1? ELEILLEJIIH ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and the primary object is to provide an engine construction embodying dual cylinder assemblies and flywheels and wherein the width or frontal area of the engine is relatively small owing to the compact relationship of parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine construction including dual cylinder in assemblies and flywheels and wherein means is employed for introducing gaseous fuel at a superatmospheric pressure to said cylinder assemblies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an engine construction as described and tion means, and power transmission means which are operatively connected to the dual flywheel assembly within the outer faces of the flywheels.

A further object of the invention is the pro- 20 vision of an internal combustion engine with fuel introduction means including a supercharger of the centrifugal rotor type which is built into the forward end of the engine housing.

A still further object resides in the provision 25 of an internal combustion engine-as described, and which is particularly adapted for use in a vehicle, in that the flywheel assembly is arranged for rotation about an axis transversely of the engine and therefore serves as a gyroscopic sta- 1 3 bilizer.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part 35 of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the internal combustion engine, with portions thereof broken away.

, Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view 40 of the engine, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view'of the engine, taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

5 Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the engine, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 3.

50 In the drawings, which for the purpose of illustration show only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally desig- 55 nates the engine, provided with a housing B, en-

' including fuel introducing means, valve actuaclosing a flywheel assembly C and supporting a pair of cylinder assemblies D, provided with valve actuation means E and with means F for the introduction of gaseous fuel under pressure, while G designates the drive shaft assembly. 5

The housing B includes a substantially cylin. drical transverse main body portion Ill, provided with an upper wall ll rigidly carrying a. depending bifurcated central support l2 comprising spaced apart Webs I3, a forward wall I rigidly carrying'an inwardly extending bearing IS, a rearward wall [6 rigidly carrying an inwardly extending bearing I1, and a pan-shaped bottom wall 18.

Referring to the flywheel assembly C, the same comprises a transverse main shaft l9, disposed axially of the cylindrical main body portion Ill, and rotatably mounted, intermediate its tapered opposite ends 20, as by annular ball bearings 2|, carried at the lower end of the depending central support l2. Fixed to ;the tapered opposite ends 20, as by keys 22 and nuts 23, is a pair of flywheel units 24, provided on their outer faces 25 with crank pins 26, preferably angularly spaced 180 apart. Formed in the inner faces 21 of the 25 flywheel units 24 are concentric annular channels 28 in one of which is fixed, as by screw 29, a bevel ring gear 30.

Secured upon the upper wall ll of the housing B one at each side of the central support I2, is 30 a pair of cylinder assemblies D,- each assembly comprising two: cylinders 3l-32 with their axes disposed in a plane radial to the cylindrical housing, and, in the example shown, at anangle of approximately 45. are pistons 33 including the usual wrist pins 34. Pivotally mounted between the crank pins 26 and the wrist pins of the rearward cylinders 3| are pitman connecting rods 35 including annular ball bearings 36 at their crank pin ends 31, retained by discs 38 secured to the crank pins as by cap-screws 39. To each crank pin end 31 is secured a pin Ml and pivotally mounted between these pins and the wrist pins of the forward cylinders 32 are pitman connecting rods M, as shown in Figure 2 5 of the drawings.

The'cylinders include intake valves 42 and exhaust valves 43 which are staggered so that the push-rods 44 may be located in dihedrally disposed planes converging toward a single cam shaft 45, forming part of the valve actuation means F. The cam shaft 45 is rotatably mounted transversely of the engine, as by annular ball bearings 46 at the upper end of the bifurcated support l2, and is parallel to and above the fly- Reciprocable in the cylinders 5 wheel shaft l9. Fixed to the cam shaft 45 and flywheel shaft H! are spur gears 41, 48 meshing with an intermediate spur gear 49 rotatable on a shaft 50 carried by the support l2. The gears 45 41,48 and 49 are disposed between the spaced apart webs l3 of the support I2 and are so proportioned as to transmit rotative motion of the flywheel shaft to the cam shaft in a two to one ratio, for proper operation of the valve pushrods 44.

Referring now to the means F for the introduction to the cylinders of gaseous fuel under pressure, the same may include an air cleaner or filter 50 of any suitable construction and forming an air inlet and a carburetor i of any suitable construction in which the cleaned or filtered air is mixed with vaporized fuel. Rotatably mounted in the bearing I5 is a shaft 52 having fixed on its inner end a bevel gear 53 meshing with the bevel gear 30 of the flywheel assembly C. Fixed to the reduced opposite end 52' of this shaft is a rotor 54 comprising a shallowly concave disc 55 carrying a whorl of triangular curved fins 56 tapering in width toward the periphery of the disc. Enclosing the rotor is an inner housing 51 formed. with a toroidal conduit 58 in which the marginal portion of the rotor is disposed, and an outer housing 59 spaced from the inner housing and provided with an axial gaseous fuel inlet conduit 60 connected as by a pipe 6| to the carburetor 5| and leading to the central portion of the rotor, and a radial gaseous fuel outlet conduit 52 leading upwardly and outwardly from the toroidal conduit 58, and connected by a suitable manifold 63 to the intake valves of the cylinders. The inner and outer housings 51 and 59 form a built-in supercharger enclosure, it being understood that the same may be formed with a removable cap section 64 to permit access to the rotor. The exhaust manifold 65 may extend above the intake manifold and lead the exhaust gases to any desired zone of disposal or utilization.

The drive shaft assembly G may include a shaft 66 rotatably mounted in the bearing H and having fixed to its inner end a bevel gear 6'! meshing with the bevel gear 30 of the flywheel assembly. At its flanged outer end 68, the shaft is connected to a flywheel 69 forming a portion of any suitable clutch mechanism, such as the single plate clutch shown, for connecting the shaft 66 to a power transmission shaft II.

In the operation of the engine, the gaseous fuel mixture from the carburetor is conducted to the center of the rotor 54 and is centrifugally forced by the rotating fins 56 into the toroidal conduit and from which the charge is conducted, under pressure, through the intake manifold 63 to the intake valves of the cylinders. The cylinders operate on the four-cycle plan to impart rotative motion to the flywheel assembly 0 which,

through the spur gears the cam shaft 45, and, through the bevel gears 30 and 53, actuates the supercharger rotor 54, and, through the bevel gears 30 and 61, actuates the flywheel 69 of the drive shaft assembly G.

Various changes in the form of invention herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a flywheel shaft, a pair of flywheels each fixed at an opposite end of the flywheel shaft, said flywheels being provided on their outer faces each with a crank pin, a pair of spaced apart cylinder assemblies having pistons each operatively connected to one of said crank pins, gearing on the inner face of one of the flywheels, a drive shaft having an end portion disposed between said flywheels, and gearing on the end portion of the drive shaft meshing with the flywheel gearing.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a flywheel shaft, a pair of flywheels each fixed at an opposite end of the flywheel shaft, said flywheels being provided on their outer faces each with a crank pin, a pair of spaced apart V-type cylinder assemblies each having pistons operatively connected to one of said crank pins, gearing on the inner face of one of the flywheels, a drive shaft having an end portion disposed between said flywheels, and gearing on the end portion of the drive shaft meshing with the flywheel gearmg.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a flywheel shaft, a pair of flywheels each fixed at an 35 opposite end of the flywheel shaft, said flywheels being provided on their outer faces each with a crank pin, a pair of spaced apart cylinder asdemblies having pistons each operatively connected to one of said crank pins, concentric bevel gearing on the inner face of one of the flywheels, a drive shaft having an end portion disposed between and parallel to said flywheels, and bevel gearing on the end portion of the drive shaft meshing with the flywheel gearing.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a flywheel shaft, a pair of flywheels each fixed at an opposite end of the flywheel shaft, said flywheels being provided on their outer faces each with a crank pin, the inner faces of said flywheels being provided each with a concentric annular recess, a pair of spaced apart cylinder assemblies having pistons each operatively connected to one of said crank pins, a bevel ring gear fixedly disposed in the concentric annular recess of one of said fly- 5 41, 48 and 49, actuates wheels, a drive shaft having an end portion dis- 

